Teen is arrested in infant death in Taylorsville

TAYLORSVILLE — Police have arrested a 17-year-old boy they allege shook his infant daughter to death.

The 6-week-old girl was taken by family members to Pioneer Valley Hospital on Nov. 19 with severe injuries, police said.

"She had swelling on the brain, bleeding on the brain and retinal hemorrhaging," Taylorsville police detective Troy Martinez said Friday.

The baby was taken to Primary Children's Medical Center, where she died Wednesday.

During the investigation into the child abuse case, police questioned relatives.

"It led us to the father, who was the last one with the child," Martinez said. "During the interview, he admitted some things that he'd done."

Police said the 17-year-old admitted that he "lost control" and shook the girl. He was booked into the Salt Lake County Juvenile Detention facility on investigation of second-degree felony child abuse. Police said they plan to ask the Salt Lake District Attorney's Office to seek some type of murder charge against him.

This is the second child abuse case involving an infant in recent weeks. South Salt Lake police said a 2-month-old baby girl was hospitalized after being abused, and she later died.

Everado Mendoza, 21, has been charged in Salt Lake City's 3rd District Court with second-degree felony child abuse and three counts of child endangerment, a third-degree felony, in connection with the abuse of the baby girl. Additional charges may be pending.

According to a probable cause statement filed with the charges on Wednesday, the baby was taken to Primary Children's Medical Center on Nov. 18 with severe head trauma. Police said the baby's mother left the girl in Mendoza's care. The baby died Friday afternoon, police said.

"The defendant indicated that the child took a 4-ounce bottle at around 2 p.m. on Nov. 18," detectives wrote in their statement. "He then changed her diaper. Between 4 p.m. and 4:20 p.m., the defendant indicates that B.M. threw her arms up and appeared to have difficulty breathing."

While investigating the child abuse case, South Salt Lake police said they served a warrant on the place Mendoza was staying at and found methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia within reach of three other children.

Mendoza was being held Friday in the Salt Lake County Jail.

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